A Karkera's Weblog

Charles Darwin’s 200th Anniversary

akarkera — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:26:56 +0000

This year we celebrate two anniversaries related to Charles Darwin. He was born on 12th February 1809, which makes this his bicentennial year and On the origin of species was published on 24th November 1859 which makes this year its 150th Anniversary.

Obligatory wikipedia link

4 part Darwin special of In Our Time , a BBC Radio 4 programme

Generalist or specialist?

akarkera — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:01:45 +0000

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

- Robert A. Heinlein (1907 – 1988) , author, 7 time Hugo award winner and Grandmaster of Science Fiction

The Rain It Raineth

akarkera — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:27:04 +0000

The rain it raineth on the just
And also on the unjust fella;
But chiefly on the just, because
The unjust steals the just’s umbrella.
- Charles Synge Christopher Bowen (1835–1894).

Of those who say nothing …

akarkera — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:41:15 +0000

Of those who say nothing, few are silent.
- Thomas Neill

Diesel Sweeties comics for free

akarkera — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:37:20 +0000

Diesel Sweeties is giving away their comics for free. Here is their blog post announcing this.

10 Ads that can’t be published now

akarkera — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:44:09 +0000

2spare.com

Prodigal 1337

akarkera — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:08:28 +0000

1337: Part 1
1337: Part 2
1337: Part 3
1337: Part 4
1337: Part 5

Stars Donald Knuth, Adrian Lamo, Lawrence Lessig, Steve Jobs, the RIAA, Richard Stallman and Cory Doctorow.

Poem about a Haircut

akarkera — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:13:39 +0000

“Have it compose a poem–a poem about a haircut! But lofty, noble, tragic, timeless, full of love, treachery, retribution, quiet heroism and in the face of certain doom! Six lines, cleverly rhymed, and every word beginning with the letter s!!”

“And why not throw in a full exposition of the general theory of nonlinear automata while you’re at it?” growled Trurl. “You can’t give it such idiotic–”

But he didn’t finish. A melodious voice filled the hall with the following:

Seduced, shaggy Samson snored.
She scissored short. Sorely shorn,
Soon shackled slave, Samson sighed.
Silently scheming,
Sightlessly seeking
Some savage, spectacular suicide.
- from The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem, originally written in Polish and translated by Michael Kandel into English

Twilight

akarkera — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:51:11 +0000

Breathe deep in the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bedsitter people look back and lament
Another day’s useless energy’s spent

Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love and has none
New mother picks up and suckles her son
Senior citizens wish they were young

Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colors from our sight
Red is gray and yellow white
And we decide which is right
And which is an illusion?

From the epilogue of the Moody Blues song Nights in white satin

ISO Standard to make tea

akarkera — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:16:41 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3103